Connecting-conduit for locomotives and tenders.



J. E. MUHLFELD. CONNECTING GONDUIT FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND TENDERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. a1, 1913.

LJLQQfiSfi Patented July 7, 19M.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN E. MUHLFELD, OF SCARSDALE, NEW YORK.

CONNECTING-CONDUIT FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND TENDERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN E. MUHLFELD, of Scarsdale, in the county of Nestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Connecting- Conduits for Locomotives and Tenders, of which improvement the followingis a specification.

My invention is particularly designed for application in connection with locomotive engines burning pulverized fuel, and its object is to provide means for the passage of fuel of such character, or of an air blast operating in conjunction therewith, from a source of supply on a locomotive tender to the firebox of a locomotive coupled thereto,

or to a chamber communicating with the firebox; said means being of ready application to existing constructions, and adapted to operation under the conditions imposed by the lateral, vertical, and relative longitudinal movements of the locomotive without ob struction to the free passage of fuel and air blast, and with the least practicable frictional resistance thereto.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side view, partly in section, of the lower adjoining end portions of a locomotive and tender, illustrating an application of my in vention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section through the same, on the line a a of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a similar sect-ion, illustrating a structural modification; Fig. 4, a partial longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, showing the details of the connection of the conduit to the tender; and, Fig. 5, a diagrammatic'plan view of a conduit, illustrating a further structural modification.

tcferring to the drawings, my invention is herein exemplified as applied for the purose of delivering pulverized fuel, or an air blast to be commingled with pulverized fuel, or both, from a chamber or receptacle, 1 located below the fuel deck, 1, of a tender, 1, to a chamber or receptacle, 2, located below the firebox, 2", of a locomotive, 2, which is coupled to the tender by a draw bar, 3, in the ordinary manner.

In the ractice of my invention, I provide a COI1(.tllt, 4, which is made of any suitable material possessing the qualities of flexibility and sufficient strength, as, for example, a layer of heavy-canvas, or one or more layers of canvas cemented together,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 31, 1.913.

Patented July 7, 1914.. Serial No. 800,698.

and which is rigidly connected, at its rear end, to the front of the tender chamber, 1, and, at its front end, to the rear end of the locomotive chamber, 2 In order to impart sufficient stilfness to the conduit to prevent it from collapsing, while maintaining its flexibility, it is preferably formed in a plurzlity of circumferential corrugations, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, or it may be stilfened in any otner suitable known manner, as by light internal rings or helices of wire. One or more conduits may be applied, in the discretion of the constructor, three being shown, located in the same horizontal plane, in Fig. 2, and one in Fig. 3.

The conduit, 4, may be of any desired form in transverse section, as found most convenient under the conditions of space afforded and the location of adjacent .members of the locomotive and tender. As shown in Fig. 2, it is of circular transverse section, and as shown in Fig. 3, of rectangular section, with segmental sides. The

longitudinal section of the conduit may also be varied as desired, it being shown in Fig. 1 as of uniform diameter throughout its length, inside and outside of its corrugr tions, and in Fig. 5, as inwardly tapering from its connection to the tender to that on the locomotive.

In order to reduce, as far as practicable, frictional resistance to the passage of air or fuel through the conduit, a sleeve, 5, preferably of metal, is fitted within it, said sleeve being of sufficiently smaller diameter than the conduit, to permit it s free flexure to any extent that may be required by the relative movements of the locomotive and tender, and being rigidly secured, at one end, to either the locomotive or the tender, and entirely free at its opposite end. One end of the sleeve, 5, is outwardly turned or flanged, and abuts against a correspondingly outwardly turned end of the conduit, and the sleeve is preferably, as shown, fixed to the tender, and tapered inwardly from its connection therewith to its opposite end.

The conduit, l, is connected, at its ends, to the locomotive and tender, by metal frames, (3, of angular section, the bodies of which are outwardly turned at their ends, in order to avoid tendency to cut or abrade the conduit, as shown in Fig. 4, said frames bearing on the outwardly turned ends of the conduit and being secured to the locomotive and tender by bolts, 7, which may have nuts,

7*, on their inner ends, and tapered split cotters, 7 on their opposite ends, bearing on the frames, 6, or they may be provided with beads and nuts, or be automatically detachable, in the ordinary manner. The outwardly turned end of the sleeve, 5, which adjoins the tender, is clamped between the frame, 6, and a gasket, 8, which is interposed between the sleeve and the face of the tender member, in order to insure a tight 'oint.

3 To afford protection to'the flexible conduit or conduits,the locomotive apron, 9, is provided with downwardly projecting side members, 9 which extend to or near the lower level of the conduit, and are located at a sufficienfidist'ancetherefrom to prevent them from contacting with it in relative lateral movements of the locomotive and tender.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination of a conduit of flexible material, adapted for the transfer of pulverized fuel from a tender to a locomotive, outwardly flanged frames abutting on similarly turned ends of said conduit, and means'for securing said frames to a locomotive and to a tender, respectively.

2. The combination of a conduit of flexible material, adapted for the transfer of pulverized fuel from a tender to a locomotive, a rigid sleeve located within said conduit, with freedom of flexibility of the conduit relatively to the'sleeve, and means for securing the opposite ends of the conduit to a locomotive and to a tender, respectively, and securing one end of the sleeve relatively to the conduit.

3. The combination of a conduit of flexible material, adapted for the transfer of pulverized fuel from a tender to a locomotive, and having outwardly turned ends, a rigid sleeve located within said conduit,with freedom of flexibility of the conduit relatively to the sleeve, and having an outwardly turned end abutting against one end thereof, outwardly flanged frames abutting on the similarly turned ends of the conduit, and means for securing said frames to a locomotive and to a tender, respectively.

4:. The combination of a conduit of flexible material, adapted for the transfer of pulverized fuel from a tender to a locomo tive, means for resisting collapse of said conduit, outwardly flanged frames abutting on similarly turned ends of said conduit, and means for securing said frames to a locomotive and to a tender respectively.

5. The combination of a conduit of flexible material, adapted for the transfer of pulverized fuel from a tender to a locomotive, outwardly flanged frames abutting on similarly turned ends of said conduit, means for securing said frames to a locomotive and to a tender, respectively, and an apron located above said conduit, and having downwardly turned side members extending opposite to and entirely clear of the sides of the conduit.

JOHN E. MUHLFELD. Witnesses:

EMILY L. MYERS, C. E. FLonINE. 

